MYSURU: Protests intensified across Mandya, Srirangapatna and Mysuru on Wednesday a day after the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) directed Karnataka to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.
Agitators argued that Karnataka itself is facing an acute water shortage owing to a poor monsoon, with the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) reservoir yet to reach adequate storage levels.
They maintained that there is insufficient water even for standing crops and drinking purposes, and vowed to resist any release of water to the neighbouring state.
A massive demonstration was organised by the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike at Sanjay Circle in Mandya. Protesters carried empty pots, dried sugarcane stalks and balanced stones on their heads to symbolise the hardship caused by the water crisis.
“We will sacrifice our lives, but we will not release water,” said an agitator, condemning the CWRC’s directive and demanded that the State Government reject the order.
The protest, led by Karnataka Rakshana Vedike district president Venu DS, also saw demonstrators blocking the Old Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway for some time, resulting in traffic disruption.
The agitation also spread to Srirangapatna, where members of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha staged a road blockade on the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway, causing a temporary traffic jam. The protesters insisted that under no circumstances should Karnataka release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu while farmers in the Cauvery basin continue to struggle.
Meanwhile, protesters alleged that water had already begun flowing to Tamil Nadu from the KRS and Kabini reservoirs even before the CWRC’s order was issued. They accused the Karnataka government of releasing water secretly and claimed that it was prioritising Tamil Nadu despite the state’s own water scarcity. The government has not officially responded to these allegations.
In a separate protest, members of Karnataka Sena Pade led by Thejesh Lokesh Gowda staged protest in front of the Old DC office in Mysuru.
Protest on Mysuru-Ooty highway
Hundreds of farmers staged a protest on the Mysuru-Ooty Highway against the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee’s directive to release 3,500 cusecs of Cauvery water daily to Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.The protest was led by Federation of State Farmers’ Associations President Kurubur Shantakumar.